There are numerous kooky delights in the The Flaming Lips' Embryonic. Rating:
* * * *

In more than a quarter of a century together, the Flaming Lips have been through many incarnations. It was only around 10 years ago, when the Oklahoma trio embraced synthesizer technology, that they achieved any kind of popularity. Though several of their mid-period albums are psychedelic-pop classics, their early days were spent in scruffy lo-fi obscurity.

This latest “magnum opus” updates that grimy sound of old. With more than 70 minutes of music spread across two discs, Embryonic was hatched from lengthy, impromptu studio jams, which were fuzzily recorded, edited down and then overdubbed with hi-tech digital effects, and Wayne Coyne’s ever-philosophical lyrics.

Those who have come to love the Flaming Lips for their sweeping melodies, not to mention their cuddly-toy outfits on stage, may find it all too outré, even by this extraordinary band’s standards. It’s definitely worth pursuing, however, and preferably at high volume.

Many tracks recall the propulsive, pulsating, viscerally exciting improv-jazz/rock/funk style that Miles Davis was forging circa 1970-72. In between, there are numerous kooky delights, such as I Can Be a Frog, in which Coyne proclaims his ability to turn into a long list of animals, each punctuated by a comical impression from Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.